“Ensuring free movement of essential health products is vital for saving lives and curbing the social and economic impacts of the pandemic.”

Prepared Opening Remarks

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, wherever you are.

The COVID-19 pandemic is straining health systems in many countries.

The rapidly increasing demand on health facilities and health workers threatens to leave some health systems overstretched and unable to operate effectively.

Previous outbreaks have demonstrated that when health systems are overwhelmed, deaths due to vaccine-preventable and treatable conditions increase dramatically.

Even though we’re in the midst of a crisis, essential health services must continue. Babies are still being born, vaccines must still be delivered, and people still need life-saving treatment for a range of other diseases.

WHO has published guidelines to help countries balance the demands of responding directly to COVID-19, while maintaining essential health services.

This includes a set of targeted, immediate actions to reorganize and maintain access to high-quality essential health services, including routine vaccination; care during pregnancy and childbirth; treatment for infectious and noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions; blood services, and more.

That includes ensuring an adequate health workforce to deal with the many health needs other than COVID-19.

For example, we’re pleased by the 20 000 health workers in the UK who have offered to return to work, and that other countries such as the Russian Federation are involving medical students and trainees in the response.

We’re very grateful to the many countries and foundations who have contributed; more than 622 million dollars have been received so far, and we would like to thank the King Salman Center for Humanitarian Relief for its contribution of 10 million US dollars.

We continue to be encouraged by the signs of global solidarity to confront and overcome this common threat.

The commitment of G20 countries to work together to improve the production and equitable supply of essential products shows that the world is coming together.

Yesterday I sent a tweet with a single word: humility. Some people asked me why.

COVID-19 is reminding us how vulnerable we are, how connected we are and how dependent we are on each other.

In the eye of a storm like COVID, scientific and public health tools are essential, but so are humility and kindness.

With solidarity, humility and assuming the best of each other, we can – and will – overcome this together.